Subtracting Time From My "Six Months"

In issue # 75 under Snowbird Alert, you wrote that spending a week or two at home for the holidays would not be subtracted from the total days allowed.

My question is - if I return home for four to six weeks, can I subtract this time from the "six months less a day?" Thank you!

Response :Ed: To clarify the "I came home for Christmas" issue, U.S. immigration treats any temporary absence from the U.S. during your visit, as part of that visit. You can’t deduct those days. However, if you remain outside of the U.S. for more than 30 days (four-and-a-half weeks, referring to your question), they then consider your re-entry as a second trip and these 30+ days away will not count in your total.

As an aside, coming home for Christmas for any number of days can save you a great deal of money on your medical insurance premiums, as Medipac will treat this as two separate trips.